1) If I didn't have to worry about calories. I'd probably have french toast with bananas and walnuts and (real maple) syrup. I'd have pasta with some type of cream sauce. I probably wouldn't eat many of my WW frozen lunches. Oh... pad thai would be a good dinner. drool! I'd keep my sushi (I think that's okay... not a "shouldn't"). My head is spinning with the possibilities. It's like that "what would you eat for your last meal if you could choose" question, but for a whole day.

2) That might be a good blog too. :) I don't think folks should go berserk but I think a "shouldn't" day once in a while is a good thing. And maybe a really good "should" day often enough to balance it out. A woman I work with said Dr. Phil (yeck!) and a friend told her the reason she is overweight is because she wants to be overweight. I don't think anyone wants that--particularly a woman. I think, instead, she just wants to enjoy life and eat good food and enjoy it once in a while without obsessing about calories or points or "shouldn't's". The trick is balancing that out with some "should's". :)

I like your shouldn't day! :)

3) Just for a day I would give up every "should" and have the following "shouldn'ts"
Breakfast: Chicken fried steak & gravy, biscuits & gravy, hashbrowns (with more gravy)
Lunch: Grilled cheese (xtra butter & cheese) with french fries and brocolli cheese or tomato bisque soup
Dinner: Shrimp & pasta with butter/cream sauce w/ garlic bread or fried chicken, mashed taters & gravy & biscuits, or pot roast w/ taters & homemade rolls
Snacks: Cheese crunchies, jalepeno poppers, potato chips, anything deep fried.
Dessert: cheesecake, creme brule, fresh baked PB or choc chip cookies

4) This book is by Elizabeth Berg - she's one of my favorites! She's an Illinois author (lives near Chicago somewhere), and she came down to Springfield for a book signing last year and I got her John Hancock!!

But I digress.

If I could eat anything for a day, I think I would eat various types of chips and dip - all day long. I love chips and salsa and guacamole to no end, but I always try to refrain from eating the whole bag!!

5) Everyone deserves a "shouldn't" day. If only in our dreams and not in our reality. I keep trying to think of a good shouldn't day but my mind keeps jumping to "shouldn't spend". Say, buy a first-class plane ticket to see what it is like to be comfortable on a plane and not wedged in like a sardine in a can. Or splurge on a room in a 5-star hotel with all the works, spa, terry robes, breakfast in bed, room service at my whim. But, I'd never spend that kind of $$ because I want to spend it on other things like cameras and Macs! It just seems too wasteful. But, hey, that's what makes it a shouldn't.

Food-wise, it would be carbs. Especially white potatoes. They call my name. I'd have hash browns for breakfast--with a baked egg dish from Barefoot Contessa that bakes the egg in butter and cream. Fries for lunch--really crispy ones with plenty of salt--but not too much. Baked potato for dinner--with lots of butter and salt to taste. Fairly swimming in it. Or maybe a twice-baked potato with lots of oozy-melted cheese on top. Nice and crusty. Or maybe my friend, Carol's, special potato dish with sour cream and I forget what else but it is heaven. Or maybe some mashed potatoes with homemade milk gravy (you have to use fried-chicken drippings to make the gravy right so I'd have to slip on my vegetarian "shoulds"). Heck...go for it...Carol's fried chicken too! :) Go for broke.

Or maybe her shrimp chowder made with half-n-half. Too many choices in the food world for a shouldn't! :)

6) Oh, I forgot homemade biscuits--my mom's. With fresh tomatoes right out of the garden, lightly salted, for a tomato sandwich. Works well to put bacon on it too but I'd use "fakon" (Merrick's husband's name for soy bacon). It would work fine for this part.

7) Oh boy...A totally guilt free day....Yahooooo
10 a.m (after sleeping late) French toast ( the texas toast kind) smothered in butter and syrup with a side of sausage links.
12 p.m. A giant cheeseburger with guacomole and swiss cheese fries and a chocolate milk shake
2 p.m. A hot fudge sundae
7 p.m. A thick juicy steak with a baked potato with sour cream and chives, an order of onion rings and corn bread. For dessert...apple crisp ala mode
11 pm hmmmm why am I still hungry? Who cares!...a bag of cheetos and a box of Godiva chocolates.

Reality: Dinner tonight...Broiled orange roughy, green beans & a half of a baked sweet potato...Blah...

8) Great one, Leslie. I forgot dessert. A pint of Haagen-Daz coffee ice cream. Or half a quart of Double Rainbow (sold at Trader Joe's) Coffee Blast. Either would work to top off my potato madness day.

9) kind of off topic...but I just had to write to say the book is by one of my favorite authors (Elizabeth Berg) and I just picked it up at Costco!

10) Let me know how you like the book. I haven't read any of hers that I remember. Might have a new author to work with at the library. The excerpt I read was pretty good.

11) I have read every single Elizabeth Berg book. I love her!

12) Good blog sis, I have to think on my shouldn't list, probably full fo carbs too. Must run in the family! Today for lunch, Mama had zucchini bread that I made. Take care. Love ya, Rose

13) Talked to Mom yesterday. Sounds like she is having fun with your rehab person now. She said you are enjoying your long vacation (since you can't call it early retirement?) and busier than ever. I didn't have any doubt that you would and sitting around eating bon bons and watching soaps wouldn't be in your future! :)

We'll look forward to your shouldn't list--when you have time to enjoy one! Love, L

14) Reading this blog and the comments has made me hungry. I've been working really hard to lose weight lately, getting up in the mornings to work out and eating better (avoiding the school cafeteria), but Fridays are my "fat kid" days. I have my normal breakfast, but then I let myself go down to the cafeteria and get french fries. Now, since none of you work with me, you won't know this, but those fries are quite possibly the best thing about Fridays...even better than the fact that I don't have to go back to work for two whole days. I savor every bite of those fries.

15) I know the feeling! I treat myself to a fish sandwich on Friday or Saturday if I behave and eat right the rest of the week. I guess that is better than eating them most of the time as well as the fries. LOL

Sounds like you have one shouldn't day in your week--way to go!!

16) I'm a big believer in Treat-Yourself Fridays...gives you something to look forward to the rest of the week.

17) Hmmm, anything I want? Lets see...

Breakfast: French toast drenched in butter and syrup, an orange julius, bacon.

Snack: An apple strudel.

Lunch: Cheeseburger, fries with gravy, chocolate milkshake.

Snack: Ben and Jerries Chunky Monkey.

Supper: Chicken and biscuits with gravy, sweet potato fries and root beer with lots of ice. Or maybe Enchiladas.

Snack: Chips with a seven-layer dip.